TECHNICAL FEATURE

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Best Practices for

Condensing Boilers
BY CATIE VANWORMER, P.E.; DAVID GRASSL, P.E., MEMBER ASHRAE

Boiler systems today are engineered to increase efficiency and reduce operating costs.
Condensing boilers are a popular option because they recover energy that otherwise
would be discharged out the boiler stack, enabling them to achieve more than 90% effi-
ciency when operated with the proper conditions. Condensing boiler applications are
also popular because of their many benefits and ease of system integration; however,
they are very different from traditional boilers in their operation and design.
In the past, the industry standard for hot water boil-
ers was based on a non-condensing boiler where the
hot water return temperature to the boiler had to stay
above the condensing temperature of the flue gases to
prevent damage to the boiler. This standard does not
hold true for condensing boilers as their heat exchang-
ers are designed and constructed of materials that are
able to withstand the effects of condensing. In fact,
there is a direct correlation between increasing con-
densation of the flue gas and boiler efficiency gains,
so the goal should be to reduce the water temperature
returning to the boiler to condense the flue gas as
much as possible.
Due to the increasing condensation of the flue gas in
a condensing boiler, the heat exchanger has to be made
of robust materials to prevent the acidic condensate
from corroding and completely degrading the materi-
als within the boiler and the flue stack. This material
is most often stainless steel, although various materi-
als are used depending on the boiler manufacturer.
Catie VanWormer, P.E., is product sales manager for ClearFire® boilers at Cleaver-Brooks in Slinger, Wis. David Grassl, P.E., is the founding principal of Dynamic Consulting
Engineers LLC based in Milwaukee.
Additionally, a condensing boiler should have an effec-
tive design incorporating counter-flow heat exchange
to put the coolest flue gases surfaces close to the coolest
return water while maintaining a large amount of fire-
side heating surface area for condensing operation.
The majority of today’s hot water boilers use natu-
ral gas as a fuel source for the combustion process. In
this process, natural gas is combined with combus-
tion air to produce water and other by-products. In a
non-condensing boiler, this water remains in a vapor
state and is completely removed from the system in
the flue gas, whereas in a condensing boiler, the water
vapor is encouraged to condense as it is cooled below
its dew point. The condensation of the flue gas enables
the recovery of 970 Btu/lb (2256 kJ/kg) of latent energy,
which is used to increase boiler efficiency. The dew
point of the water varies based on many considerations,
but generally speaking, flue gases begin to condense
when the hot water return temperature is between
120°F to 130°F (49°C to 54°C) as shown in Figure 1.

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 TECHNICAL FEATURE 

FIGURE 1   Example of flue gas condensation temperature based on the hot water FIGURE 2   Boiler efficiency as a function of hot water return temperature and
return temperature. boiler firing rate.

100 101
98 99 Firing Rate (%)
20 50
96 97
75 100

Percent Efficiency
94
Efficiency (%)

95
92 Fossil Fuel Dew Point
90 93
88 91
86 89
84 87
82 No Condensing
85
80 40 60 80 100 120 130 140 160 180 200 220
60 80 100 120 140 160
Return Water Temperature (°F) Return Water Temperature (°F)

System Design—Operating Temperature and TABLE 1   Comparison of different VAV box selections showing the impact of water temperature and
Flow Rates VAV box arrangements on heating capacity.
As boiler technology has evolved over STANDARD STANDARD STANDARD VAV OVERSIZED
VAV BOX VAV BOX WITH LOOSE COIL VAV BOX
time, so has system design. The first
notable difference in system design relates Box Size 10 in. 10 in. 10 in. 12 in.

to hot water supply and return tempera- Inlet Size 10 in. 10 in. 10 in. 10 in.
tures. Previously, it was common to design VAV Box Outlet Size 14 in. × 12 in. 14 in. × 12 in. 14 in. × 12 in. 17 in. × 14 in.
systems with a hot water supply tempera- Coil Size 14 in. × 12 in. 14 in. × 12 in. 16 in. × 12 in. 17 in. × 14 in.
ture in the range of 180°F to 200°F (82°C Flow Rate 0.6 gpm 0.6 gpm 0.6 gpm 0.8 gpm
to 93°C) assuming that a higher water Coil Pressure Air Drop 0.22 in. w.g. 0.76 in. w.g. 0.08 in. w.g. 0.30 in. w.g.
temperature was always better. To a point, Coil Pressure Water Drop 1 ft of water < 1 ft of water < 1 ft of water < 1 ft of water
a higher hot water temperature is better Heating Capacity 13.6 MBH 14.4 MBH 14.0 MBH 13.8 MBH
as it allows for smaller heat transfer sur- Number of Rows 1 4 2 3
faces in heating coils and terminal units, Hot Water Supply Temperature 180°F 140°F 140°F 140°F
but it limits the efficiency of the system.
Conversely, a higher hot water temperature can make transfer surface area exceeds the benefit of boiler effi-
it more difficult to control space temperature during ciency. For example, most VAV boxes come with one- or
periods of low loads when full capacity is not required two-row coils, which will not provide the required heat-
by the building. ing capacity at acceptable airside pressure drops with
Systems using condensing boilers should be designed reduced hot water supply temperatures. There are vari-
with the lowest hot water supply and return tempera- ous options available to overcome this, from providing
ture feasible while still adequately heating the space. It a three- or four-row heating coil to a VAV box that uses
should be noted that hot water return temperature is the a larger, duct-mounted, one- or two-row coil separate
driving factor that dictates boiler efficiency as shown in from the VAV box. Table 1 shows the impact of each option
Figure 2, so optimizing the hot water return temperature available.
with this consideration should be the goal. Relative to hot water system temperatures are system
A standard hot water supply temperature for a con- flow rates. Flow rates for older systems were typically
densing boiler should start at a minimum of 140°F designed for a temperature differential of 20°F (11°C)
(60°C) with the ability to go lower, provided enough between the hot water supply and return temperatures
heating capacity is available at a reasonable cost from at the terminal units, which was above the condensing
the heating coils and terminal units. Although a lower temperature and caused higher flow rates. The tempera-
water temperature may be possible, there is a point ture difference between the hot water supply and return
where the increased first cost for additional heat temperatures for condensing boilers should be between

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TECHNICAL FEATURE 

30°F and 50°F (17°C to TABLE 2  Comparison of boiler efficiencies, equipment quantities, and pump horsepower for condensing vs. non-condensing boilers.
28°C), which decreases TWO 1,500 MBH TWO 1,500 MBH TWO 2,500 MBH TWO 2,500 MBH
system flow rates, reduces CONDENSING BOILERS NON-CONDENSING BOILERS CONDENSING BOILERS NON-CONDENSING BOILERS
pressure drops through Boiler and System ΔT 140 to 100°F 180 to 140°F 140 to 100°F 180 to 140°F
heating coils and terminal Boiler Efficiency 92% + Depending on 88% 92% + Depending on 88%
HWR Temperature HWR Temperature
units, and results in less
system pumping power Boiler Output 2,760 MBH 2,640 MBH 4,600 MBH 4,400 MBH
at full-load and part-load Primary Pump Flow Rate 138 gpm 66 gpm 230 gpm 110 gpm
conditions. Because it is Primary Pump Head 70 ft of water 20 ft of water 70 ft of water 20 ft of water
common to control the hot Primary Pump Power 3.44 bhp 0.46 bhp × 2 5.50 bhp 0.80 bhp × 2
5.00 hp 0.75 hp 7.50 hp 1 hp
water system to the hot
Pump Efficiency 72% 75% 76% 71%
water supply temperature,
Secondary Pump Flow Rate — 132 gpm — 220 gpm
a higher ΔT promotes a
lower hot water return Secondary Pump Head — 65 ft of water — 65 ft of water

temperature to the boiler Secondary Pump Power — 3.01 bhp — 4.82 bhp
5.00 hp 7.50 hp
and leads to more con-
Pump Efficiency — 72% — 75.5%
densing with increased
Total Pump Power 3.44 bhp 3.93 bhp 5.50 bhp 6.42 bhp
boiler efficiency. 5.00 hp 6.50 hp 7.50 hp 9.50 hp

High ΔT Systems
Systems that operate with a high temperature dif-
ferential between the hot water supply and return
temperature are also candidates for condensing boiler
systems since the hot water return temperature directly
relates to boiler efficiency. An example of a high ΔT
system would be designing at a typical hot water sup-
ply temperature of 180°F (82°C), however, instead of
using a 20°F (11°C) temperature differential between
the hot water supply and return temperatures, using
a 30° to 50°F temperature differential. Although high-
mass boilers are capable of handling higher ΔTs without
damaging the pressure vessel, the 30°F to 50°F (17°C to
28°C) ΔT range offers the ideal mix of high ΔT and good
operational control.
As demonstrated below, system flow rate and ΔT are
both factors in determining the total heat load based on
the following heat transfer equation for water.
Q = 500 × gpm × ΔT
where
Q = Total heat load (Btu/h)
gpm = Flow rate (gpm)
ΔT = Supply and return piping temperature
difference (°F)
Using the energy equation above, and maintaining
a constant Btu/h value, one can see the effect varying
the ΔT has on the flow rate. If we use 1,000,000 Btu/h
(293 071 W), with a 20°F (11°C) ΔT , the flow rate equals
100 gpm (6 L/s). However, with a 40°F (22°C) ΔT, the flow
rate is cut in half to 50 gpm (3 L/s). This often means that
a wider ΔT will keep the boilers in a condensing mode
more often, increasing system efficiency.
Table 2 shows the comparison of boiler efficiencies,
equipment quantities, and pump horsepower for con-
densing vs. non-condensing boilers.
System Distribution
In the past, non-condensing boilers were known for
not being able to accept variation in system flow, pri-
marily to maintain the hot water return temperature to
the boiler above condensing operation. However, some
condensing boilers are capable of handling variable flow
in the system as well as through the boiler. In all cases,
be sure to confirm this with the boiler manufacturer as
different manufacturers have different requirements
for their respective boiler.
Variable flow primary has emerged as a system design
option for hot water systems and operates based on the
principle that one set of pumps will distribute water to
the entire system, including the boilers and all heating
coils. In this scenario, the entire system is exposed to
variable flow, enabling it to benefit from lower flow rates
and energy savings at reduced loads with two-way con-
trol valves at the coils. In addition to the control valves at
the heating coils, two-way isolation control valves should

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TECHNICAL FEATURE 

be provided at the boilers to eliminate FIGURE 3   A variable flow primary distribution system.
flow through a boiler when the boiler is
VSD VSD
not in operation to avoid unnecessary
mixing in the supply header. An example Flow Meter for Pump
of a variable flow primary hot water sys- Minimum Flow
FM
tem can be seen in Figure 3.
When implementing a variable flow
primary system, it is important to take
into account minimum flow require- Minimum Flow Coil 1 Coil 2 Coil 3
ments of the system pumps and boilers. Bypass for Pumps
Depending on the pump and boiler selec-
tions, either can drive the minimum flow Boiler Isolation Valves Two-Way Control Valves M M M

requirement. With high-mass condens-

ing boilers, often the pumps will dictate
the minimum flow rates required. One method is to use
a minimum flow bypass pipe somewhere in the system
with a two-way temperature control valve in the bypass
piping. This requires a flow meter to provide means for
modulating the bypass valve when the minimum flow
cannot be maintained in the system. A second method is
to replace a select amount of two-way control valves with
three-way control valves in the system. This allows for
constant flow through the three-way valves, maintain-
ing the minimum flow without the use of a flow meter.
However, with this method, the return water tempera-
ture back to the boilers can be raised, affecting the oper-
ating efficiency of the condensing boilers.
Control Strategies
In traditional boiler systems, it is common practice
to operate boilers in a lead-lag staging configuration
to maintain the hot water supply setpoint. In modern
condensing applications, boilers typically operate in
parallel, regardless of the system load. Contrary to
the traditional method of control, system efficiency
with condensing boilers improves at part-load condi-
tion as more surface area is available for condensing.
Similarly, a consistent hot water supply temperature
can be produced from each boiler in parallel to the
distribution system. With the condensing boilers oper- reset is required for systems larger than 300,000 Btu/h
ating in a true parallel configuration at similar loads,
control strategies can be used to further maximize sys- tems. These controls must automatically reset the supply
tem efficiency.
For example, systems that require high hot water sup- temperature.
ply temperatures based on a traditional design can oper-
ate with an aggressive hot water reset schedule based on primary flow configuration as described above, or in
outside air to promote condensing during the summer
FIGURE 4   Condensing boiler reset curve.
190
Hot Water Temperature (°F)
180
170
160
150
140
130
120
–20 0 20 40 60 80
Outdoor Air Temperature (°F)
or periods when there are low loads in the system. The
theory behind resetting the hot water supply tempera-
ture is that as the outside air temperature increases
from the design condition, the amount of heat required
to satisfy the space load decreases as shown in Figure 4.
Similarly, as the space load decreases, it is also possible
to heat the space with a hot water supply temperature
less than the design condition, which uses less energy
to heat the water to a lower setpoint. Hot water reset
can be combined with a night setback schedule to pro-
mote the use of lower hot water supply temperatures
when there may not be any occupants in the space. Per
ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1-2016 hot water temperature
(87 921 W), supplying hot water to comfort heating sys-
water temperature based on building load or outside air
Adding variable speed drives, either in a variable
a primary-secondary configuration, requires control

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strategies to provide variable speed pumping. This can
be accomplished in a variety of ways with the most com-
mon method being to control the pump speed based
on the differential pressure at a defined location in the
system. As the system pressure changes based on the ter-
minal devices’ control valve position at any given time,
the pump speed modulates to provide only the required
pressure and flow the system needs, saving pumping
energy. Per Standard 90.1, variable speed pumping is
required when the pumping system has a total pump
horsepower exceeding 10 hp that includes control valves
designed to modulate or step open as a function of the
load.
Because condensing boilers are more efficient at lower
firing rates, it is advantageous to run multiple boilers
at low firing rates to improve overall system efficiency.
Since the return water temperature directly impacts a
boiler’s efficiency, maintaining the design ΔT and keep-
ing the return water temperature as cool as possible are
important to maximize overall system efficiency with
condensing boilers.
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TECHNICAL FEATURE 
Integration Into System Designs
Condensing boilers can be incorporated into most
hydronic systems where a standard boiler is used, but it
is important to know the design modifications required
to achieve system efficiency gains for a holistic solution.
The following are design options for incorporating con-
densing boilers into traditional designs.
Traditional Condensing and Non-Condensing Systems
The traditional hot water system design includes a
non-condensing boiler for space heating needs. The
simplest solution for using condensing technology is
to substitute a condensing boiler in place of the stan-
dard, non-condensing boiler. Depending on the system
temperatures, efficiency gains may be small because to
achieve the highest efficiency, the system must operate
in condensing mode. Regardless of the boiler type, a
condensing boiler will operate near the same efficiency
point of a standard non-condensing boiler during
conditions when the hot water return temperature is
above the condensing temperature threshold. Despite
SEPTEM BER 2018  ashrae.org  A S H R A E J O U R N A L 23
TECHNICAL FEATURE 

this, in a standard system design, it is FIGURE 5   Piping configuration for condensing vs. non-condensing boilers in a heat-pump system.
still beneficial to operate condensing
Condensing Boiler Non-Condensing Boiler
boilers given the ability to operate hot To System To System
water reset strategies during periods of
low-load or summer conditions, assum- Main System Pumps FM Main System Pumps
ing that in the summer lower water
temperatures can be used to meet the
building loads. While a traditional, non- Balance Valve
condensing boiler system would require Common Common Bypass Piping
a three-way mixing valve for supply Pipe Pipe
temperature reset in order to protect From Boiler Pump From Boiler Pump
M
the boiler, condensing boilers allow for System System
a simpler system design since the supply
temperature reset can occur (and is encouraged) FIGURE 6  Basic heat exchanger used for pool heating, snowmelt, or other process load.
at the boiler. During these conditions, careful VSD
consideration must be taken to avoid operating
the hot water system at too high of a flow rate and System Pump
To System
trading boiler energy for pumping energy, but FM
From System
optimized appropriately, hot water reset can offer
system efficiency gains.
M

Non-Traditional Systems
To Pool Heater,
Traditional hot water systems work well with Snowmelt, Process
condensing boilers as do several non-traditional Load, Etc.
M
systems. In general, any system that operates Heat Exchanger

at a hot water return temperature below the

condensing point is a perfect application. Among the
options are water-source heat pumps, geothermal heat
pump systems, in-floor hydronic radiant heating sys-
tems, snow-melt systems, domestic water heating and
pool heating systems.
Condensing boilers do not require mixing valves to
maintain the hot water temperature above the condens-
ing temperature of the flue gases as required for non-
condensing boilers, making them a good fit with less
complexity. A comparison of the piping requirements
for a condensing and non-condensing boiler in a water-
source, heat-pump system can be viewed in Figure 5.
In-floor hydronic radiant heating is a relatively
cost-effective way to provide heat that can be con-
cealed architecturally within a space. In-floor heat-
ing requires a low hot water supply temperature in
the range of 100°F to 120°F (38°C to 49°C), an excel-
lent condition for condensing boilers. Although hot
water return temperatures naturally will be low, the
temperatures will remain low by keeping the tubing
spaced closely together, reducing the floor resistance,
installing the tubing near the top of the slab, and
providing insulation below the tubing. In addition
to boiler-efficiency improvements, in-floor heating
embeds the tubing within the slab, which conceals
it from any damage. It also eliminates finned heat
exchangers or enclosures that can corrode, become
physically damaged, or need to be replaced over time.
Snow-melt systems are similar to in-floor hydronic
radiant systems in that hot water supply and return
temperatures are very similar, but the tubing is used in
exterior applications, and glycol often is used to pre-
vent freezing within the piping system. Depending on
the building’s heating system, a plate-and-frame heat
exchanger can be used to separate the snow-melt sys-
tem loop from the main building heating system loop,
or a dedicated boiler to the snow-melt system can be
provided.
Pool heating requires only low-grade heat to maintain
the pool water temperature below 90°F (32°C) as shown
in Figure 6. Again, the low water temperature is a perfect
application to use condensing equipment to recover the

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TECHNICAL FEATURE 

energy that would otherwise be wasted in the flue gases. FIGURE 7   Dual return system with two temperature zones and domestic hot water.
Hot water for pool heating can be provided either with
a condensing, domestic water heater or a condensing Load 1 Load 2 10 to 30% of
boiler with heat exchangers. Another good applica- 180°F 120°F Total Load
Domestic
tion for pool heating is to use a dual-return condensing Hot Water

boiler as described below.

Some condensing boilers are equipped with a dual- 150°F 80°F
return capability that allows hot water return from two
sources within the building as shown in Figure 7. With 180°F
a dual-return system, if there are applications that use
low hot water temperatures, this loop can be kept sepa-
rate from the higher hot water return temperature loop 150°F
back to the boiler. Then, the two return loops are piped 80°F
to the boiler separately with the lower hot water return
Makeup Water
loop piped into the boiler where it will come in contact
with the higher temperature flue gases, and the warmer
hot water return loop is piped to the connection that
comes in contact with the cooler flue gases to extend the blending the lower and higher return water tempera-
condensing conditions. tures within the boiler. In order to effectively use this
Although this approach may use additional piping, the piping setup, it is critical to keep the water loops sepa-
design strategy maximizes the condensing zone prior to rated and ensure that at least 10% of the flow be provided

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 TECHNICAL FEATURE 

to the low-temperature connection for condensing effi- Condensing boilers, when properly applied in both
ciencies to be achieved. traditional and non-traditional system applications,
In closing, understanding the principles of condens- offer the ability to greatly improve the system operating
ing boiler technology is required to properly apply it in efficiencies over a non-condensing boilers. They also
a new or retrofit application. When designing systems allow for simpler system designs with easier to imple-
with condensing boilers, it is important to focus on a few ment controls, pumping, and piping strategies over
key items to maximize the system operating efficiencies: most non-condensing boilers.
1. The entire system needs to be
designed for condensing applica-
tions:
•• Boiler heat exchanger;
•• Stack;
•• System operating temperatures;
and
•• Terminal devices.
2. Minimize mixing within the
hydronic system to keep the return
water temperature to the boilers as
low as possible.
•• Reduce the number of three-
way valves in the system, consider-
ing the minimum flow bypass with Advertisement formerly in this space.
flow meter approach for minimum
flow requirements.
•• Pipe the system variable flow
primary instead of primary-second-
ary to eliminate the mixing seen in
the decoupler between the boiler
and system loops.
3. Design hydronic systems with
wider ΔTs – consider 30°F to 50°F
(17°C to 28°C) ΔTs instead of the
traditional 20°F (11°C).
4. Lower the system temperature
in both traditional and non-tradi-
tional systems.
•• Either reduce both the supply
and return temperatures; or
•• Widen the system ΔT.
5. Be cautious with reducing the
system temperature due to its effect
on terminal unit selection. Lowering
the system temperature often results
in larger terminal equipment.
6. Always consult the boiler manu-
facturer. Rarely are two equal, even
when one is substituted for the other.

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